1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antibacterial fibers and a method for producing antibacterial fibers.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Controlling bacterial growth in fabrics and in particular controlling perspiration odor in clothing, bed cloths and so forth is of continuing interest. There are a number of antibacterial fibers on the market, all of which have shortcomings. For example, the Japanese company Toyobo treats fibers with DC 5700, a silicone quaternary ammonium salt sold by Dow Corning. Fabrics made with Toyobo fibers lose antibacterial power during washing. The Japanese company Nihonsambo uses Cus-Silperlon but the treated fibers displays a green color and are very difficult to dye. The Japanese company Iiasi uses ceramic products called Zeomic to remove odors by absorption, less effectively than antibacterial chemicals which can limit odor formation. Various spray-on coatings of antibacterial chemicals have been used but the fibers suffer worse fastness and poor antibacterial power. Other treatment systems include U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,788 which teaches the use of cuprous iodide for producing a fabric with antibacterial properties. The photosensitive properties of cuprous iodide, however, can result in a yellowing of the treated fabric which may limit the use of the fabric in certain applications.